Indicator description:

As they move towards adulthood, most young people are either in school, in the workforce or in the military. These roles positively shape their lives. However, a persistent group of teens between ages 16 and 19 are neither working nor in school. These are sometimes referred to as "idle" or disconnected youth.

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Why is this indicator relevant?

When teens are neither in school nor employed, they are disconnected from the roles and relationships that set them on the path to be productive adults. This detachment increases the risk that a young person will have lower earnings and less stable employment than their peers who stayed in school. Disconnected young men are more likely to spend time in jail; disconnected young women are more likely that other young adult women to rely on welfare. Disconnected youth often become idle adults, defined as those without work for a year or more. As disconnected teens become adults, they tend to continue to be unproductive community members.